Salade Méchouia

Method

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1. Char the peppers, tomatoes, onion, garlic and chilli directly over a gas flame or under a hot grill, turning, until blackened all over. The peppers take about 12 minutes, the tomatoes and garlic rather less.

   Mark done Start 12 min timer

2. Put everything in a bowl, cover tightly and leave 10 minutes to steam.

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3. Peel everything. The skins should slip off; scrape rather than rinse, because water takes the flavour with it.

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4. Deseed the peppers and chilli, and squeeze the garlic out of its skins.

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5. Chop everything together on a board until you have a rough, chunky mixture. Do not blend.

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6. Dress with the olive oil, vinegar, caraway, coriander and salt.

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7. Spread on a plate and top with tuna, egg, olives and parsley.

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Chef’s Tips

• Blacken them properly. Timid charring gives no smoke and the salad tastes of raw pepper.
• Never rinse off the skins. Scrape with a knife and accept a few flecks of black.
• Chop by hand. A processor gives you a purée and the whole point is texture.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the green chilli in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Crusty bread, to scoop
• A cold Tunisian rosé
• Harissa on the side, for more heat

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days and it improves for two. Add the tuna and eggs only to the portion you are serving.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.